AT: Tim Baldwin
ARLINGTON, Texas — With a long career in other fields, Selim Bassoul is a hands-on guy. That approach has carried into his new role as CEO of Six Flags. Having served as chairman of the board for a brief time, he was voted in as the new CEO of the company last fall. In a very short time, the beginnings of change have been dramatic.
In 2017, a Wall Street Journal interview with Bassoul surprised his coworkers and the industry. During the interview, Bassoul confided that he ran the kitchen-supply Middleby Corporation while having dyslexia and ADHD, but it had not been a barrier to his success. Today, he is also turning heads in his new role with some bold initiatives within the amusement industry.
“Attendance is not the driver. If you look at every quarter, analysts and investors have been traditionally mostly concerned about attendance. How many people showed up at the park?” Bassoul said in disagreement. “It should be about ‘yields.’ If you have tons of people show up at the park and don’t spend a penny, it doesn’t mean anything. Yields change the industry.”
“Action fueled with emotion” is a formula Bassoul embraces. “That’s what Six Flags should be.” Bassoul agrees that in the past, the emphasis on action — thrill rides — has been predominant within Six Flags. He feels the emotional connection needs to be bolstered. Giving a nod to Walt Disney, Bassoul knows the value of emotion and storytelling.
“Not everyone likes to ride the roller coaster,” he said. “But just watching the roller coaster as it comes in and out gives you a great feeling of exhilaration.”
Bassoul grew up in Lebanon, a country devoid of amusement parks, according to him. Memories of his first visit to Tuileries Gardens in Paris resonate with him. Children would run and chase sailboats racing in a large basin within the park.
“It was exciting and emotional for me to watch those sailboats and children and parents relaxing on benches. I want to create that same emotion,” he said.
So why Six Flags? What brought a renowned CEO to the theme park industry?
“First, it is an iconic brand. I have very fond memories of taking my kids to Six Flags when they were young,” he tells Amusement Today. “I remember when we drove home that they would beg me to come back.”
A father of seven kids, Bassoul recently took his youngest (six years old) for her first visit to a theme park during spring break. When she awoke the next day, her first comment was “Can we go back?” This is the feeling Bassoul hopes to bring to the forefront. “We need to create that desire to return.”
He feels the major person making the decision to come to the park is the “driver,” which in most cases is the mom. A goal of seeing more strollers in parks he feels is a good thing.
He noted that the Six Flags brand has lost its way and is confident the chain can regain its full potential. Some of his reimagining comes from giving the autonomy back to the parks rather than the many layers stacked at the corporate level.
Bassoul’s strategy is to elevate the product — in all areas — and in so doing can improve the experience to where the customer is willing to pay more.
“Our customer base has to change. It has to move up with us,” he said.
Six objectives are emphasized under his leadership:
- Improve and Elevate Guest Experience
- Create Fun through Employee Friendliness
- Park cleanliness
- Better Quality Food
- More Guest Amenities
- Upgrade Mobile App Technology.
“I think a park visit should be an escape from your daily grind,” Bassoul believes. “From the minute I step into the park, I want vibes.” For kids, he wants to capitalize more on the IP of Looney Tunes and DC Universe to make emotional connections.
A greater emphasis is being placed on landscaping and beautification. He feels the parks have become too much “cement and steel.”
Award-winning master chefs have been brought on board to enhance the quality of the food. Bassoul knew he wanted this component to improve. It wasn’t just an idea to convey from his desk. He was found working in the Six Flags Over Texas kitchens during spring break to get that firsthand experience. In so doing, he would inspire and encourage the seasonal staff to reach their best and thanked them for doing a good job.
“Food service is a huge part of our business,” Bassoul noted. “And it has never been a priority. The thinking is: ‘You’re captive. You’re going to have to eat.’ Today I am saying, ‘no.’ I want people to want to come back because the food is tasty, fresh and hot. Fair food does not have to be bland. You can have a delicious burger, a crispy chicken tender and a fresh handmade salad in an amusement park.”
Entertainment is something under review. Bassoul wants top-tier offerings. “We’re not going to have so-so shows,” he said. “I don’t need 10 shows that are mediocre. I want the best talent.” Festivals are also on the radar.
Bassoul feels Middleby and Six Flags are similar as they are both guest driven. He feels the theme parks have a culture about them.
“The purpose of our job is very big to me,” Bassoul said. “During my time at Middleby, 80 percent of the organization was blue collar — they ran factories and produced equipment. Over the years, I realized my best-performing employees were female. It’s difficult to get females to work in a manufacturing environment. We hired many, but they started leaving shortly thereafter.
“Wondering why, we ultimately got to the bottom of it. We realigned our compensation based on merits, not on gender and seniority. We studied the work environment and made multiple improvements, including the quality of our restroom and breakroom areas. Our bathrooms at the factory were dirty. We got rid of nighttime janitorial service and brought in restroom attendants. Today at Middleby, the majority of frontline workers are female. We created an opportunity for single mothers to come get a dignified job. Today [at Six Flags] we have 43,000 seasonal workers. We have an obligation to create opportunities for both our seasonal and full-time workers. We want to create skillsets for them to prosper, whether they stay with us or leave.”
Throughput and consistency in restaurants are things he finds essential to instill.
“One of the largest opportunities are in food service. We want to train our employees to one day be able to run their own restaurant, to earn a decent wage and to have a dignified life. We are first and foremost a purpose-driven organization.”
He has noticed how many of the company’s parks are located in thriving areas.
“Our parks have become phenomenally positioned within our communities,” Bassoul told AT. “My message is how do we continue to cater to the families around us, to moms with strollers, to the growing Hispanic community and to the grandparents?”
When 2022 is in the rearview mirror, what will excite Bassoul the most?
“Three things: 1) having delivered on the emotion factor, 2) measured how many people are coming back and 3) to reduce our debt.”
This article appears in the MAY 2022 issue of Amusement Today.
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